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Sony Music Entertainment settled a lawsuit regarding Future’s title. Enjoy a High Quality Life.
In 2020, High Off Life, a creative agency located in Atlanta Georgia sued the publisher. Zach Richards, the founder of High Off Life claims that his company has three trademarks related to the brand. The first was issued in September 2018. High Off Life also claimed that its brand has been used by the company High Off Life in connection to hip-hop music and clothing promotion since 2009.
Original title of The Future was It’s a good lifeAccording to the lawsuit, it was. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that the title was altered at the very last minute due to concerns about negative coronavirus press. High Off Life issued cease-and-desist notices in June 2020, but Future and Sony Music Entertainment did not respond. Instead, the album’s merchandising was expanded.
After SMEThe dismissal was soughtA judge rejected the motion to dismiss the suit. The judge who denied the motion for dismissal wrote that “the court concluded that a motion of dismissal is not the proper stage in this litigation, to address the Applicability to the First Amendment defense.”
The Court did not conclude that defendants were not eligible for First Amendment protection according to the Rogers test. The Court instead finds that the summation stage, after the development and presentation a factual record, is a better place to analyze whether or not the First Amendment protects defendants’ actions.
This ruling enabled the case to proceed into discovery, so that both sides could start building their respective cases.
In a second motion, filed January 3, the parties have agreed to settle their case. It is not known if any money was transferred as the terms of settlement have not been made public. BillboardReached outFor comment but neither the attorneys of either side responded to requests for comment on the outcome.